Cho PD explained

Cho PD
Birth Name:	Cho Joong-hoon
Birth Date:	27 January 1976
Origin:	South Korea
Genre:	Hip hop
Occupation:	Record producer, rapper
Years Active:	1998 - 2010; 2011 - present

Cho Joong-hoon (; born January 27, 1976), better known by his stage name Cho PD, is a South Korean record producer, rapper, and the founder of record label Stardom Entertainment.^[1] Producing his own music for himself and his crew Stardom (his company's eponym), he rose to prominence through the internet then debuted in 1998. Later, he also would support other artists like Psy, Verbal Jint and a young Dok2 earlier in their careers. After twelve years, he briefly "retired" from music in 2010.^[2] However, he came out of retirement in 2011 with his two studio albums, State of the Art and Art of Business.^[3]

On November 23, 2018, Cho was found guilty of fraud by the Seoul Central District Court. The sentence concerned Cho withholding undisclosed assets worth ₩270,000,000 (approx. $238,116 USD) in July 2015 when he signed a contract to transfer the assets of Stardom Entertainment to a new unnamed company. These undisclosed funds were derived from Topp Dogg’s 2015 concert tour of Japan. Cho was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for 3 years.^[4]

Since his sentencing, he made an attempt to reinvent his branding. In May 2019, he launched ChoCo Entertainment, which specializes in powering virtual AI-based K-pop idols.

In 2023, he announced the launch of a new K-Pop group called ChoCo^[5] that will have various sub-units including: ChoCo1, ChoCo2,^[6] and ChoCo1&2.^[7]

Discography

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions	Sales
		KOR ^[8]
In Stardom	Released: January 15, 1999 Label: Stardom Entertainment Formats: CD, cassette	2	KOR: 204,254+^[9]
In Stardom Version 2.0	Released: August 24, 1999 Label: Stardom Entertainment Formats: CD, cassette	4	KOR: 194,902+^[10]
ChoPD.Net / Best In East	Released: December 27, 2000 Label: Stardom Entertainment Formats: CD, cassette	16	KOR: 53,596+^[11]
Stardom In Future Flow	Released: December 12, 2001 Label: Future Flow Formats: CD, cassette	26	KOR: 38,062+^[12]
Great Expectation	Released: March 23, 2004 Label: Future Flow Formats: CD, cassette	9	KOR: 53,840+^[13]
Money Talks	Released: October 22, 2007 Label: Future Flow Formats: CD	6	KOR: 17,364+^[14]
Part 1: State of the Art	Released: October 12, 2011 Label: Brand New Stardom Formats: CD, digital download	31
Part 2: Art of Business	Released: October 12, 2011 Label: Brand New Stardom Formats: CD, digital download	32

Extended plays

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions	Sales
		KOR ^[15]
Victory	Released: March 8, 2010 Label: Brand New Stardom Formats: CD, digital download	20
The Hard Way	Released: April 15, 2010 Label: Brand New Stardom Formats: CD, digital download	10
In Stardom V3.0	Released: September 16, 2013 Label: Stardom Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download	25	KOR: 987+^[16]
The Goose That Lays Golden Eggs Part 1 (황금알을 낳는 Part 1)	Released: March 18, 2015 Label: Stardom Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download	23

Awards

Mnet Asian Music Awards

width="75%" class="wikitable sortable"
Year	Category	Work	Result
	Music Video of the Year (daesang)	"My Style"^[17] ^[18]
Best Hip Hop Performance
Special Jury Prize
	Best Hip Hop Performance	"Secret Diary" (비밀일기)^[19] ^[20]
Special Jury Prize
2004	Best Hip-Hop Video	"Friend" (feat. Insooni)^[21]
2005	Judges' Choice Award	"My Old Story" (나의 옛날 이야기)^[22]

Notes and References

1. Web site: 조pd(ZoPD) 소개. Mnet. ko. 2016-06-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20160808021638/http://www.mnet.com/artist/6914/profile. 2016-08-08. dead.
2. News: Cho PD takes his new release to Twitter. 2010-05-27. Korea JoongAng Daily. 2016-06-29.
3. Web site: Album Review: Cho PD - Art & Business, Parts 1 & 2. 2011-10-28. Hello Kpop. en-US. 2016-06-29.
4. Web site: 조피디, 그룹 '탑독' 투자금 부풀려 소속사 양도…사기혐의 1심 집행유예. 2018-11-23. Seoul Economy. ko. 2018-11-26.
5. Web site: Kairui . 2023-04-26 . ChoCo Entertainment Plans Debut For Upcoming Rookie K-Pop Group 'ChoCo' . 2023-06-19 . K-Pop Concerts . en-US.
6. Web site: YuJun . 2023-05-16 . Who Are The Members Of ChoCo? Meet The Super Talented Members Of The K-Pop Group ChoCo . 2023-06-19 . . en-US.
7. Web site: 2023-05-31 . 초코1&2, 6월1일 '엠카'서 '프루티 룹스' 무대 최초 공개 . 2023-06-19 . 뉴스1 . ko.
8. Web site: K-Pop Album Sales Volume. Recording Industry Association of Korea. ko. 2018-05-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20180418092921/http://riak.or.kr/chart/mcdc.asp. 2018-04-18. dead.
   • Web site: In Stardom charting. https://web.archive.org/web/20170806000648/http://www.riak.or.kr/chart/riakpdf.asp?hit_year=1999&hit_month=2. 2017-08-06. dead.
   • Web site: In Stardom Version 2.0 charting. 2018-05-11. 2016-10-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20161012063023/http://www.riak.or.kr/chart/riakpdf.asp?hit_year=1999&hit_month=8. dead.
   • Web site: ChoPD.Net / Best In East charting. 2018-05-11. 2018-04-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20180429222400/http://riak.or.kr/chart/riakpdf.asp?hit_year=2001&hit_month=1. dead.
   • Web site: Stardom in Future Flow charting. https://web.archive.org/web/20171013065354/http://www.riak.or.kr/chart/riakpdf.asp?hit_year=2001&hit_month=12. 2017-10-13. dead.
   • Web site: Great Expectation charting. https://web.archive.org/web/20081112045620/http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/kpop_200404.htm. dead. 2008-11-12. 2021-07-08.
   • Web site: Money Talks charting. https://web.archive.org/web/20090215103906/http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/kpop_200710.htm. dead. 2009-02-15. 2019-06-30.
9. Web site: May 1999 K-Pop Album Sales Volume. Recording Industry Association of Korea. ko. https://web.archive.org/web/20180418092815/http://riak.or.kr/chart/riakpdf.asp?hit_year=1999&hit_month=5. 2018-04-18. dead. 2018-05-11.
10. Web site: October 1999 K-Pop Album Sales Volume. Recording Industry Association of Korea. ko. 2018-05-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20180710010729/http://www.riak.or.kr/chart/riakpdf.asp?hit_year=1999&hit_month=10. 2018-07-10. dead.
11. Web site: January 2001 K-Pop Album Sales Volume. Recording Industry Association of Korea. ko. 2018-05-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20180429222400/http://riak.or.kr/chart/riakpdf.asp?hit_year=2001&hit_month=1. 2018-04-29. dead.
12. Web site: February 2002 K-Pop Album Sales Volume. Recording Industry Association of Korea. ko. https://web.archive.org/web/20050331001038/http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/kpop_200202.htm. 2005-03-31. dead. 2018-05-11.
13. Web site: June 2004 K-Pop Album Sales Volume. Recording Industry Association of Korea. ko. https://web.archive.org/web/20081112053445/http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/kpop_200406.htm. 2008-11-12. dead. 2018-05-11.
14. Web site: October 2007 K-Pop Album Sales Volume. Recording Industry Association of Korea. ko. https://web.archive.org/web/20090215103906/http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/kpop_200710.htm. 2009-02-15. dead. 2018-05-11.
15. Web site: Gaon Album Chart. Gaon Chart. ko. 2018-05-11.
    • Web site: State of the Art and "Art of Business" charting.
    • Web site: Victory charting.
    • Web site: The Hard Way charting.
    • Web site: In Stadom V3.0 charting.
    • Web site: The Goose That Lays Golden Eggs charting.
16. Web site: September 2013 Album Chart. Gaon Chart. ko. 2018-05-11.
17. http://mama.interest.me/history?type=winner&year=2002 "2002 M.net Korean Music Festival Winners list"
18. http://mwave.interest.me/mnettv/videodetail.m?searchVideoDetailVO.clip_id=6490 "2002 MMF part 1"
19. http://mwave.interest.me/mnettv/videodetail.m?yhhhhsearchVideoDetailVO.clip_id=6493 "2003 MMF part 1"
20. http://mama.interest.me/history?type=winner&year=2003 "2003 M.net Korean Music Festival Winners list"
21. http://mama.interest.me/history?type=winner&year=2004 "2004 M.net Korean Music Festival Winners list"
22. http://mama.interest.me/history?type=winner&year=2005 "2005 M.net Korean Music Festival Winners list"